6 – United Arab Emirates

237 km and 551m of altitude gain (in total 7,842km and 48,082m of altitude gain)

14 – 27 February, 2016 – It was time to end our hippie existence at the beach as our Dubai friends had invited us to a desert trip to the Empty Quarter, an experience we definitely didn’t want to miss. As we had enough time for the slightly more than 200km we hoped to find another beach camp spot in Oman before finally leaving the country. Despite a breathtaking and ear-popping ride on Oman’s most scenic coastal road there was only one suitable beach for us, but having cycled less than 20km we decided to move on not knowing that we wouldn’t find another place for a quiet rest – all of the other beaches were far too small and hence too close to the road. So we ended up crossing the border, which was challenging because we had to deal with the most stupid border officer you can imagine. First he didn’t speak English while only dealing with foreign passports and second he wouldn’t understand how we got to Musandam even though two other officers explained to him several times that we took the ferry. It felt as if we had spent hours at this border post and we were relieved when the guy finally stamped our passports and let us leave. The rest of the day we cycled through one big industrial area on a dusty highway together with hundreds of trucks. No fun at all and we were glad when we finally reached a resthouse, where we pitched our tent next to the empty swimming pool following another nightmarish discussion with the guesthouse staff. We just didn’t want to pay a lot of money for a depressing room and beach camping wasn’t possible due to all the factories.

Musandam Coastal Road:

The next day we managed to find a smaller road again next to the sea, a big relief. Right after lunch an Emirati stopped us to take our picture in front of an old museum. He insisted on inviting us for a drink as we objected to having lunch right after lunch. We slowly continued cycling always looking for a good spot to camp. At around 4pm we stopped in a small village at a mosque to refill our water bottles. It was closed though and a nice man next door helped us out. His maid had to refill all our water bottles and after a short chat he invited us for dinner – at a 5-star hotel around 20km further down the beach. He also explained to us where we could camp and so we moved on. I need to add that by now we hadn’t showered in 9 days let alone washed our hair – at the beach in Khasab we used to swim in the sea and wash ourselves with two bottles of fresh water afterwards and in yesterday’s resthouse we were shown to the swimming pool facilities – toilets where we had to use ice-cold water coming from the toilet hose. We felt a little embarrassed entering the fancy hotel that dirty and were wondering if we maybe could get a good deal for a room. Johan asked for the hotel manager and after a longer discussion even the heavily discounted room rate was beyond our budget. But the manager offered us to take a shower at their spa, which was heaven and pure luxury at the same time. With a clean body, clean hair and clean clothes we felt so good again and ready to meet our dinner host. But first we wanted to find a good camp spot. We cycled along the main road of the island and succeeded behind a fence of a construction site. Back at the hotel they didn’t want to let us in again – the hotel turned out to be an All-Inclusive-Place and once in we could have enjoyed food and drinks for free. We explained our situation but were constantly asked who our friend was as we would have had to pay around 80 EUR per person for food and drinks, no matter when we would enter. We couldn’t believe our ears but were finally let in. As agreed we called Omar at 7pm but he didn’t pick up the phone. Same ten minutes later and no response either 20 minutes later. We decided to wait another ten minutes before leaving again when the phone rang and Omar called back. He would be at the hotel in ten minutes he told us. We waited in front of the hotel lobby and about 45 minutes later Omar arrived in his red Jaguar F-type sports car, parking right in front. In the meantime we had made friends with most of the hotel staff and all were very curious to know who our friend might be. When they saw him, they all grinned and looked understandingly – everybody knew him and he seemed to be a welcome guest. Later he told us that he is working at the presidential palace in Abu Dhabi and he seemed to bring a lot of people to this hotel. At the restaurant the chef grilled special meat for us and came with us for a last photo shoot with the hotel photographer in front of the hotel. Unfortunately we never got the photos as Omar wasn’t able to send emails – when we asked him to email them to us he sent a WhatsApp photo of our photo taken with his smartphone camera :-).

The guy who invited us happened to be a keen motorcyclist

The guy on the left is the one... — The guy on the left is the one…

The only and ominous photo with Omar in front of his car

Camping at a construction site behind a fence

The following day we cycled into Sharjah only to find out that camping wasn’t allowed on any of the beaches and we had to look for hotel accommodation once more. Cheeky as we are we went to the Sheraton asking for a good rate for two world cyclists. And we succeeded – we only paid 25% of the normal rate for a double room including buffet breakfast.

A bike race happened to take place on the road we cycled

Who else could have been the winner :-)? — Who is the winner? Johan of course!

Some luxury after weeks of camping at the Sheraton

After a good night’s sleep and a huge breakfast we cycled the final stretch to get to our friends in Dubai. The route started off nicely with wide palm-tree-lined beaches but would soon turn into an industrial area with narrow 4-lane roads and heavy traffic. I got so scared cycling there that we took a taxi for the last 15km just across the Dubai Creek. From there we once more cycled along the beach road and discovered the Bikers Café – a place where all world travelers eat and drink for free as long as they stay in Dubai. After two coffees, a photo shoot with their photographer and a short interview we said our goodbyes for now.

This picture is now on the wall of Dubai's Bikers Café — This picture is now on the wall of Dubai’s Bikers Café

Cycling through a metro station instead of crossing a major highway

And finally back in our cosy room 'Chez Nathalie et Stéphane' — And finally back in our cosy room ‘Chez Nathalie et Stéphane’

After a day’s rest and a lot of laundry business we embarked on another exciting trip with Stéphane and Nathalie – a desert trip to the Empty Quarter, close to Liwa. The Empty Quarter is the largest uninterrupted sand desert of the world and made famous by the British explorer Wilfred Thesiger who crossed the desert twice in 1946 and 1947. It covers some 650,000 square kilometers and includes parts of Oman, Saudi-Arabia, UAE and Yemen.

Our car packed till the top we left in the early morning to meet our guide and some other families in four different 4WD cars. To get there we had to drive for about 4 hours on a quite boring road. By lunch time we reached the Empty Quarter and stopped at a beautiful platform overlooking kilometers of sand dunes originally built for the nearby hotel as a remote restaurant but never finished. After lunch we rode further into the desert to find a good campsite, pitched our tents and left for an unforgettable ride through the most beautiful desert scenery we’ve ever seen.

Getting ready to rock and roll... deflating tires — Getting ready to rock and roll… deflating tires

Yes, there are still unmotorized vehicles in the desert — Yes, there are still live vehicles in the desert

Being the tail of your group means having always a clear view

Setting up our dining area — Setting up our dining…

...and sleeping area — …and sleeping area

Scary moment and yes, we've been there as well. But in contrary to this driver we made it in one go along the dune thanks to our fantastic driver Stéphane — Scary moment and yes, we’ve been there as well. But in contrary to this driver we made it in one go along the dune thanks to our fantastic driver Stéphane

Drivers' instructions — Drivers’ instructions

...and unmatched vistas so close to Saudi-Arabia — …and unmatched vistas so close to Saudi-Arabia

If you're sitting in the car this feels much steeper than it looks — Another scary moment – if you’re sitting in the car this feels much steeper than it looks

At a salt lake — At the small remainder of a salt lake

We spent two absolutely exciting and fun days and ended the trip with a joint lunch at the desert hotel. Thank you once again Nathalie and Stéphane for giving us the opportunity to join you, it was sooooo cool!

We spent another week in Dubai with Stéphane driving us around to be able to prepare for the continuation of our trip. Johan was busy packing our bikes as I worked and cleaned up all our gear. A few more times we all had lunch at the Bikers Café and on departure day Nathalie and Stéphane drove us to the airport – they needed to make sure we are really leaving 🙂 – and we once more said our goodbyes. We again had a great time at their house and cannot thank them enough for their generosity and hospitality! Hope to see you somewhere soon in this world!

Last lunch at the Bikers Café with Stéphane on 'Rare disease day' where I got a new high-vis jacket — Last lunch at the Bikers Café with Stéphane on ‘Rare Disease Day’ where I got a new high-vis jacket

Off to Thailand now!

9 – 20 December, 2016 – After a chaotic boarding procedure in Iran, a departure delay of almost two hours and a pleasant Persian Gulf crossing we arrived at Dubai harbour at 4pm. By the time we had left the boat and passed the immigration checks it was dark. We still had to cycle around 25 km to our friends’ house and quickly got going. The streets were well illuminated and so were all the fancy shops we passed. We were riding along the beach road – the smallest road we could find on our map – only to find out it still was a four-lane highway. Big and fancy cars passed us at 100 km/h on this shoulderless street. If we were lucky and the passing lane was free they would give us enough room to overtake, if not we had to share the lane and hope for the best. At best they would honk angrily to let us know we’re not wanted there. After about 22km and an hour later, having passed the poshest shops we’ve seen in five months selling about everything we’d almost forgotten about, we finally left this highway. Relieved we took a deep breath, thankful we made it this far unhurt, only to see us cycling onto an even bigger highway, this time three lanes wide. At first we thought, well, at least there is a shoulder. But after a few hundred meters we noticed we had to cross these three lanes – at night, with fast and constant traffic. Somehow we made it and even managed to avoid another three-lane crossing by pushing our bikes through deep sand. The last three kilometers took us almost as long as the the first 22km! Dubai has been clearly built for motorists. We cycled in many metropolises before including Istanbul, Bangkok and Delhi but never ever had we experienced anything as difficult as this. Finally at our destination we were warmly welcomed by the Ferrault family.

Impressive first vista of Dubai — Impressive skyline of Dubai

Dubai was shocking at first. We had been cycling for five months in some of the poorest countries in the world, including two months in Iran where most western brands are banned and even in the most touristic cities such as Esfahan or Shiraz there weren’t any restaurants serving a single western dish. And in Dubai there was suddenly everything. From beautifully and expensively decorated luxury shops, modern clinics, posh cafés and even posher restaurants to luxury 6-star hotels. There would be a small traditional shop selling dishdashs (traditional men’s outfit of this region) next to a Starbucks next to an old mosque next to a Lamborghini reseller next to a McDonalds next to an Indian tailor sewing on an old-fashioned sewing mashine. The Dubai Mall is the biggest shopping mall in the world. We’ve never seen anything alike – wide alleys, beautifully decorated and shops selling all the things we don’t fancy (anymore).

Vista of the Burj Khalifa and all the construction still going on

And Dubai was fantastic at last. Nathalie and Stéphane could not have been any better hosts. We had a lovely room with a real bed – a luxury after months of sleeping mainly on the floor – and I slept like a baby only to wake up again by the distant morning call for prayer. At their beautiful house we felt home at once and enjoyed every minute. Together we went to see Old Dubai, had a barbecue in the desert, went to nice restaurants, once even with a vista of the Burj Khalifa and a water fountain show in front of it, drank wine and beer, a long missed treat especially for Johan and had a really fun time. At the cinema we couldn’t believe that our snack was served in the theatre! We also spent a lot of time at the house, catching up on email and Skype with friends and family, enjoying their garden and pool and refilling our batteries. Thank you Nathalie and Stéphane for a wonderful time!

The elegant and beautiful Burj Khalifa, the World’s tallest building standing at 829.8m

Into the Arabian sands:

A stroll through Old Dubai by the Creek:

At the Souk:

It must have been a tough day... — It must have been a tough day…

Dubai was a great experience, also to see so many different cultures living peacefully next to each other. At the beach you see women in the smallest bikinis sitting next to an Arab family with women fully covered. Nobody seems to be bothered about anything and everybody does what they like.

Time flew by and after about a week we moved on again to cycle through the desert to Oman. Would we have liked Dubai if we hadn’t been with such hospitable and caring hosts? I doubt it. We are definitely no big city fans, even less so if they are so cycling unfriendly. In the end it once more all goes back to the people you spend your time with and how they make you see a place.

Leaving Dubai was OK, less stressful than arriving despite the huge highways. We spent the night camping in the desert only to find ourselves at an important entry point for desert tours with 4WDs and quads passing our little tent all night. On the day we were supposed to cross the border we stopped at a shopping mall in Al Ain, when two Emiratis started talking to us and invited us for lunch at a Café. They didn’t order anything, but made sure we ordered enough to eat. They paid, left and left us baffled. At the border we paid our UAE exit fee and cycled another 50km to the Omani border post always wondering if we had missed it but right before dawn we made it, bought our visas and pitched the tent just a few hundred meters away in the bush.

2cycletheworld

2 wandering cyclists discovering the world

6 – United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: The Empty Quarter

Bling Bling